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fAf. ~J. F. v/Jelborn. Prcs>i<kjn.t 

CDt-6(Z.*Vt>o FOIL «+ tftfe*^ CorvvP/VKlV 



HD 5325 
.M63 
1913 
C87 
Copy 1 



Circular letter from Mr. J, F. Welborn, President 
Colorado Fuel & Iron Company 



- q r ice President Kayes,' of the United Mine Workers of 
America, came to Colorado in August, 1912/ and for several years prior 
to that date, conditions in the coal raining fields,' except in a corn,. 
paratively small district immediately north of Denver, had been satis- 
factory to both miners and operators. A voluntary increase in wage;-; 
of about 10$, "ithout even the suggestion of demand on the part of the 
miners, had been made by the operators in April, 1912. The miners were 
earning an average of approximately $4 per day. Cases of individual 



s showec 


1 muci 


i higher avers 


,ges. 


For example : 






Month 




Mine 




lumber men 


Ave 


rage daily 




1913 






Employed 
154 


Earni 


ngs per man 


August, 


House 


§4.41 


" 


IT 


Bow en 




114 




4.27 


October 


IT 


Primero 




108 




4.98 


|T 


IT 


Sopris 




71 




4.67 


ir 


It 


Gray Creek 




40 




4.90 



In the last fiscal year prior to the strike The Colorado Fuel & Iron Co < 
operated 21 mines. The average number of miners employed (those enge^s- 
exclusively in digging coal) was 2340. At 13 of these mines where 1384 
miners (or 59$ of the total number) worked the year's earnings per man 
ranged from $980.97 at Frederick to §1259.14 at Tabasco. The working 
time at these 13 mines during the year was from 213 days at Gulch to 
306 days at Berwind. Five of the mines where 675 miners (29%. of the 
total number) were employed, showed year's earnings ranging from $805.9" 
at Crested Butte to $943.31 at Coal Creek, the working time being from, 
183 to 253 days. Two of the remaining three mines" were closed down fort 
a continuous period of almost half of the year and worked but 149 and 
151 ia X S res P ective ly;- the average earnings per man for the half year 
being $599.66 at Lester and §596.39 at Walsen. The one remaining mine 
worked 168 days-out of the year, the miners earning an average of $4.54 
per day, or §764.08 for the year. Arbitrary deductions from these 
earnings are 50c per month for sharpening tools, $1 per month doctor 
services covering the employe and his family, and whatever amount may 
be paid for powder, the total amounting to from 8c. to 20c per day, and 
averaging less than $4 per month per man. The correctness of these 
figures was proven in an examination made by certified public accounts 
ants chosen by the Governor and a committee of newspaper men. 

The operation of company stores in coal mining camps in Colored 
has been, as advantageous to miners as to coal companies, as these store- 
have carried stocks of goods of the character required by miners, and 
prices have been as low and lower than those ruling on similar goods in 
near-by towns somewhat removed from the coal camps. In camps of The 
Colorado Fuel & Iron Co. deductions made on pay-rolls for purchases at 
company stores in advance of pay-days range from 7$ to 15$ of total pay 
rolls, the remaining 87$ to 93% of wages being paid in cash twice per 
month. The total purchases made at company stores by employes and other, 
including the deductions referred to, equal 22$ of all pay-rolls. 

In addition to these earnings, paid semi-monthly, and the right 
to trade where they pleased, the miners had an eight-hour work day under 
ground and a checkweighman where they wanted it. It is not hard, there- 
fore, to understand that they were satisfied with their conditions and 
opposed to a strike. The expressions of satisfaction with conditions 
and opposition to a strike on the part of the miners became the strongec 






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£ 



during the period cf agitation immediately following the arrival of Haye- 
vice president of the international organisation, in August. At some of 
the mines the men expressed these sentiments he fore the strike tool: 
effect in signed statements, the number so expressing themselves running 
from 90 to 99$ at certain mines . 

The so-called convention held at Trinidad Septemher 15th, at 
:.hich a vote on the strike was taken, was composed of delegates chosen 
entirely "by the officers of the organization. The number of delegates 
:.as made up largely from men who had been on strike in northern Colorado 
for about three and a half years, and practically all of the remainder 
had either never worked at the mines whose employes they claimed to 
represent, or had sought and secured a few days' work immediately pre- 
ceding the strike and then attended the convention as delegates from 
those mines without having been chosen by the men whose interest they 
claimed to serve . 

The vote of the mock convention, made up of delegates selected 
by the leaders--and not by the miners interested--was for a strike unless 
the operators would submit to their seven demands, which were as follows 

1st. Recognition of the union. 

2d. An increase of 10% in wages . 

3d. An eight-hour work day for all classes of labor in or around 
the coal mines and at coke ovens. 

4th. Payment for narrow work and dead work. 

5th. Checkweighmen. 

6th. The right of the miners to trade v/herever they pleased, the 

right to choose their own boarding place, and their own doctor 

7th. "Enforcement of the Colorado Mining laws and the abolition of 
the notorious and criminal guard system." 

The first demand, recognition of the union,' involved a contract 
between operators and the labor organization, under the terms of which 
the operators would have been required to collect from its employes 
and remit to the labor organization, all dues, fines and assessments 
that the organization saw fit to levy against the workmen. The 90$ 
of coal miners--then non-union--would have been required to join the 
organization or leave the employ of the companies where they had been 
working for years. This demand, involving as it did the absolute 
closing of the "open shop" which has always prevailed in the Colorado 
coal mining fields; the operators would not consider. 

As Colorado's coal mining scale was already about 20% higher 
than the scale in districts with which the Colorado coal competes, the 
granting of the second request for an increase in wages, would have 
been little short of business suicide. Moreover, Colorado miners were 
earning better wages then miners in airy other part of the United Stares. 
:.ot excepting Wyoming whose scale is nominally higher than that in 
Vo lor ado . 

- 2 - 



$ 






An eight-hour work day, the third demand, had been given to the 
men "before required bj r lav;. 

The fourth demand, payment for narrow work aid dead work of 
various hinds, had been the practice for many years, and as evidence 
that the men were not being robbed we can point to their earnings of 
from §100 to $190 per month, where they worked practically full time . 

Checkweighmen, the fifth demand,' had for many years been the 
privilege of the miners without interference, and at some properties 
checkweighmen were employed by the men. 

Sixth. The men had enjoyed the right, without prejudice 
against them, of trading wherever they pleased, and were privileged 
to choose their own boarding place, the" companies,' with possibly few 
exceptions, not operating boarding-houses; but as to doctor, most of 
the larger companies had a well organized and conducted hospital 
department, to which all men were required to contribute $1 per month, 
that entitling them to free medical and hospital attendance for them- 
selves and families. 

Seventh. . The general coal mining law, prepared by a committee 
of operators and representatives of the miners, and passed at the 
session of the legislature which adjourned a few months prior to the 
strike, is considered second to none iii the United States, particularly 
in the protection it affords to mine workmen. This law did not become 
operative until after the strike vote, but no fair-minded resident of - 



the State doubts the ability of the regularly constituted authorities 
to secure its enforcement without the aid of the labor organization. 
The so-called "notorious and criminal guard system," referred to in 
the seventh demand, never existed,' and that charge is apparently based 
on the fact that at most of the larger coal camps, where several hundred 
men were employed, it was customary to have a constable, or camp marshal 
whose duties as peace officer were much the same as those of like office, 
in villages throughout the United States. Primarily, the duties of „ 
these officers were of a sanitary nature, including the general care 
of miners' houses. 

Almost immediately after the strike vote,' threats were freely 
made against those who were at work,' that if they did not respond to 
the strike call they would be subjected to acts of violence; and in 
some cases the threats went so far as to hold out death as the result 
to those who continued at work. This naturally caused thousands of men 
who had previously declared their honest intention of continuing at 
work, to reconsider their determination and cease work. Probably two 
to three thousand men left the State and sought employment in other 
fields where there was no disturbance. She number of men employed at 
all coal mines in Colorado in September, 1913, was 12,346. The number 
employed in October was 7696. The reduction in force, representing 
the total number that responded to the strike call, was 4650, or less 
then 38%. In Ilovember the number employed in coal mines had increased 
to 8016, and in December to 9665. In March, 1914— the last month 
before the outbreak at Ludlow on April 20th, --the total number of em- 
ployes at coal mines was 10,146, or 79$ of the number employed, in the 
month of liar ch, 1913. These men produced 82% of the March, 1913, out- 
put, indicating that the better class of men remained at work. The 






, 



V: 



& 



general curtailment of "business throughout the west, including a marke; 
reduction in the demand for steel, has been such that 10,000 coal 
miners in Colorado can produce more than enough coal to supply the 
demands on this state during this season. 

The purchase of firearms by representatives of the United Mine 
Y/orkers of America commenced before the strike vote had been taken and 
at a time when the organization leaders were stating for publication 
that the calling of the strike would depend entirely upon the men 
interested and that it was then uncertain whether or not there would 
be one. Within a short time after the strike took effect from 1500 to 

iOOO men in southern Colorado were fully armed and making almost daily 
attacks upon mine property and employes. In the six weeks after the 
calling of the strike and before the militia had taken complete charge 
of *' he strike district, ten coal mine employes had been killed,' almost 

11 of them from ambush and in cold blood, while in the repulse of 
attacks made by the striking forces upon those employed in the mines, 
four of their number were killed. The bands of armed strikers were 
generally led by Greeks, many of whom had never worked in the coal 
mines. Many of these leaders in the armed attacks were known to have 
had no connection whatever at any time with the coal mining companies. 

From the early part of November and after the State Militia 
had assumed charge of the district, comparative quiet prevailed, and 
many of those who had responded to the strike call through fear,' re- 
turned to work feeling that the presence of the Militia in the field 
made it safe for them to do so. The military forces were gradually 
reduced until on April 20th a small detachment of less than'50'men^ 
remained. These were stationed at and in the vicinity of Ludlow. On 
the morning of April 20th thejr were attacked by the strikers and their 
leaders from the Ludlow tent colony. It was supposed that all of the 
women and children had been removed to places of" safety; as the soldier, 
had observed an exodus of women and children from the tent colony. 
The fight between the militia and their opponents continued throughout 
the day and. during the battle the tent colony was destroyed, the fire 
having apparently started from an explosion within one of the tents 
while the soldiers were some distance away. When it became known 
that all of the women and children had not been removed from the tents, 
militiamen while under heavy fire from the strikers rescued several 
women and children from burning tents. The next morning it was found 
that two women and eleven children had been suffocated in a cave into 
which they had been taken and the opening to which had been completely 
closed. Evidence of a doctor at the military court martial held in 
Denver showed that the occupants of this cave were dead before the ten- 
over it had been burned. 

On April 23d; Lav/son; international board member of the United 
Mine Workers of America, and one of the leaders of the striking forces 
in Colorado, in an interview published throughout the State, asserted 
that a war of extermination would thenceforth be conducted by the 
strikers. For about ten days thereafter armed bodies, varying in 
number from 50 to 400; attacked the town of Delagua from the hills 
and killed three men. They dynamited and burned buildings and equip- 
ment at the Empire, Southwestern and Green Canon mines at Aguilar, 
driving several men, women and children into the Umpire mine and seal- 
ing the entrance with explosives. They kept up an almost continuous 



ti 






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$t: 



fire from entrenchments for about fifty hours upon the Walsen and 
Robinson 'mines near Y.'alsenbuig. Ihese two mines closed down during 
this- siege and the men working in and about the mine; to the number 
of 160,' took up. arms in defense of their lives and the property, there- 
by forming the reaJ protective force at these mines. After the arrival 
of the militia in Walsenburg the battle was continued between the 
strikers and the militia, in which a surgeon wearing a Red Cross in- 
signia was killed while attending a wounded soldier on the field.. 
-Later his body was robbed and. two or more shots fired into it. They 
attacked the Chandler mine near Canon City and kept up a merciless fire 
from the hills for nearly forty hours, killing one man and finally 
taking possession of the camp by gaining admittance under a white flag. 
They attacked the Eecla mine in Boulder County; Killing one man and 
wounding three . Several hundred of them marched on the Forbes mine in 
the early morning of April 29th; and in their attack on it killed nine 
employes, slaughtered all of the mules; numbering 33.; burned the barn* 
boarding-house and several other buildings . 



At the inception of the strike the coal mining companies prom- 
ised protection to their employes who wished to continue at Ysjork. The 
10,000 men now employed; as stated before; are sufficient to meet all 
requirements. The number out on strike in the entire southern Colo- 
rado district does not exceed 2;000; and those who have participated 
in the recent violence will probably number less than 1500. 

We will always treat with our employes concerning any matters 
affecting theilr welfare; but we cannot and will. not. treat with^ the -' me -a. 
who have been responsible for the killing of our workmen and the des- 
truction of our property; or with their representatives; the officers 
and leaders of the organization. 



i 



Denver, Colorado. 

(24-e 

6-1-14 



.LIBRARY OF 



CONGRESS 



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